Process for reducing oxidic iron ore



United States Patent 18 Claims. c1. 75- 26 This application is a continuation-in-part of Serial Number 41,603, filed July 30, 1948, now abandoned;

The present invention relates to an improved metallurgical process. More specifically, the invention is concerned with the production of metals of the iron" type such as iron, nickel, etc. from their oxides, more particularly their oxidic ores by a reductionwith gaseous hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, natural gas, refinery gases or the like.

Heretofore, many efforts have been made to utilize gaseous hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas as;-a reducing agent for the recovery of metals, particularly iron, from their oxidic ores. Natural gas is an abundant and inexpensive raw material. However, its direct use as a reducing agent for metallic ores such as oxidic ores has encountered serious difiiculties which made processes of this type unattractive in commercial operation. I

Probably the most important: single reason for this situation must be found in the particularly poor thermal characteristics-of ordinary hydrocarbonsas the'reducing agent for oxidic iron ore or the like. Theprevailing reduc tion' reactions involving such hydrocarbons are strongly endothermic and their rates become appreciable only at relatively high temperatures. In order to supply the heat required by these reactions and to maintain temperatures of this high level in the reduction zone, 'by preheating either the gas feed or the ore or both, proavoided. is extremely difficult, therefore,.to reconcile v the requirements of eflicient heat generation and reduction- 1 when using methane both as the reducing and combustionsupporting agent Furthermore, when methane is passed through a bed ofmetal ore: at: reducing conditions, the,

ore first contacted'by the methane will soonbereduced to metal. As a result, methane is cracked. at the high prevailing'temperatures under the catalytic influence'of 7 reduced metal tojconsume heat and toform large amounts V of carbon which are deposited on the metalf andmost .of which must 'be removed prior zt'oifurth'erutilization of the metal. Moreover, the degree to which thisrjeaction proceeds whenfallowedtoi; occuraisdifficulttogcontrol. For these reasonsfnaturalgas or its equiVaIents haVenot been used directly for the 'reduction of ores in cornmercial operation. 7 As 'far. as 'Iam aware, jall'practical Y attemptsto utilize these gases havebeen directed toward" the cracking, incompletecombustion or reformation of thehydrocarbon gases in a separate reaction zoneand the j products, i.; e.:,- C0,,

useof the combustion or cracking Hz and/orxC assthereducingagentsin a-;two. stage Procedure. Y

,The; -,present invention lis. chiefly an practical solutionjof theproblems mentionedabove.. I

vIt is,thereforey'the-principal object-.of'the present oxides T with; hydrocarbon 1 gases.

invention 'toprovid'egimproved means for reducing metal ;A morespecific: object of the invention is-to provide practical j and economic means for the, direct reduction of solid metaloxides with hydrocarbon gasessuch' as V natural, gas or its equivalents.'.-

' A still more specific object'ofthe' invention'is to pro i vide improved means for the direct reduction of iron oxidesyparticularly. oxidic iron ores,- withhydrocarbon hibitively high preheating temperatures are required. If

this heat is to be supplied from an externalfsource through the walls of the reduction zone, temperature gradients are undesirably high. If it isattempted to generate the heat within the reduction zone itself by a combustion of fuels, the reactions must be carefully so controlled that the ratio of COziCO in the gas phase stays below the equilibrium value, at the'temperature employed, 7

of the oxidation-reduction reactions of iron oxides in the presence of carbon oxides. When employing the ore in powdered form particularly when using the so-called fluid solids technique, high temperatures above about 950 C. must be avoided because such high temperatures have been found to be conducive to agglomeration of particles, probably as a result of plasticization of the solids, particularly the reduced iron itself. It follows that the process requires the supply of a large amount gasessuch as natural gas or its equivalents. 7 3

M'Other objects andadvantages will appear from' the following. detailed descriptionread withjreference to the accompanying drawings; i v. i

In accordancewith th'e'present invention, these objects maybe accomplished by passing an excess ofa hydro- 7 carbon gas at a reductiontemperature through a dense turbulent mass ofthe finely divided metal oxidefluidized; by upwardly flowing gases to resemble a 'boilingliquid while generatingat least a 'sub'stantialportion of the heat to besupplied -to the reduction reaction by a controlled combustionof gaseous hydrocarbons with an oxidizing gas such fasfair and/or oxygen within the reduction zone itself and controlling the reduction 'proc-.

ess in such a manner that just' sufficient metal oxide 7 remains unreduced to minimize the deposition of excessive amounts lof carbon by cracking of hydrocarbon gas in; the-,reducingzone, The relatively small proportions V of-rnetal oxide of, say, about-5 to 30% remainingunre- 'duced (in theform of FeO in the caseof iron). may then of heat and simultaneously a careful control of temperature within relatively narrow limits.

It has been suggested to supply the heat required in the reduction zone by the combustion ofsubstantially pure hydrogen in contact with the ore. However, ,pure hydrogen is expensive which affects adversely the-economics of this type of operation. When attempting to generate suflicient heat by a partial combustion of CH4 in contact with the ore and/or reduced metal, other considerable difficulties arise. In the first place the oxidation of methane merely to CO has only a rather insignificant positive heat effect so that whensubstantial amounts of heat are required the methane consumption is excessive. Far more heat may be produced by burning i be completely reduced to metal in a second reducing step with. relatively smallamounts of reducing gas such 'as' methane but preferably hydrogen or amixtureof hydrogen and .CO. ,Ihei upper, limit of theamount of unreduced iron oxide is not critical, however, as.to the lower limit,

at least 5% of the oxide should remain unreduced. The

exact amount ofunreduced oxide rwill depend on the operating conditions, particularly on the air requirement.

In practical operation it lies within the limits of 5 1030% Itis essential for the. process" of the invention that the ratio of oxygen to hydrocarbon gas availablein the 5 reduction zone is so controlled that the ratio of COzzCO .in thegexit gas Willremain below that at which'oxidation of the metal becomes prevalent,'while atjthe same time zu this ratio must be so adjusted as to maintain an oxidizing 1 2,711,368 Patented June 21, 1955 \d potential adequately high substantially to reduce carbon deposition by cracking of hydrocarbon gas.

Experimental data have demonstrated that when m the course of reduction of FezOs ore with methane the ore reaches the FeO stage (ratio of O/Fe=l.0), reaction rate with methane falls to an extremely low level but is far higher on both sides of this oxygen to iron ratio, particularly on the iron side, i. e., when the ratio of oxygen to iron is less than 1.0, preferably around 0.3. This relationship is shown graphically in Figure 5. This fact makes possible rapid and successive reduction of oxidic ores with methane provided the proper technique is employed. In accordance with this invention, in the reduction of oxidic ores with methane the oxide should be introduced into a body of well-mixed solids containing metal (iron), e. g., metal from previously reduced oxide,'and maintaining a substantial fraction of oxides in the solids.

In plots of reaction rates of FezOs and methane versus O/Fe, breaks were found near O/Fe ratios of 1.33 and 1.0. Particularly at the latter value of the ratio, the break amounts to a complete reversal of rate. These breaks were taken as meaning that the definite compounds FezOs, FesOi and Fe() decomposed methane by definite and different mechanisms. This phenomenon is illustrated in Figure 4.

At high atomic ratios of oxygen to iron (1.4-1.5) methane was oxidized rapidly to predominantly carbon dioxide and water vapor. As this ratio of O/Fe decreases, both methane decomposition rate and the ore reduction rate fell sharply, reaching a nadir at O/Fe of substantially unity. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane decomposition products increased over this range at the expense of carbon dioxide and steam.

As the ratio of O/Fe decreases below unity, both the methane decomposition and oxide reduction rates increased almost as fast as they had previously fallen. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen continued to increase. At O/Fe of roughly 0.3 (80% of Oz removed from FezOa), carbon dioxide and water vapor practically disappeared from the outlet gas and rapid carbon deposition began. The reduction rate of the original F6203 began to fall off, but the methane decomposition continued to rise, reaching its maximum value when reduction was complete. This maximum value was about thirty times the minimum value at O/Fe of unity.

In the preferred operation, therefore, reduction of iron ore (an oxide of iron) is effected by the use of natural gas as a reducing agent in a single operation conducted at a suitable temperature, not over 950 C., in which the solids in the reduction zone are kept well mixed in a state of reduction such that they contain a substantial fraction, namely 70-95% of the total iron present as metal to give a product containing not less than of the total iron in it as iron oxide (FeO). The operation may be either batch or continuous.

One method of operation involves the use of a counterflow column (e. g., a packed column properly operated), in which powdered metal is picked up from a point near the bottom of the column and recycled to an upper point in the column in quantities suificient so that, after mixing at the point of injection of the recycled powder, followed by reaction, there is still residual metal in the downfiow powdered solids at that point. While the recycled metal may be withdrawn from the powder stream leaving the bottom of the column, it is usually preferable to withdraw it at a point somewhat above this. This recycled powder may be introduced into the ore stream entering the top of the column, but it is usually preferable to introduce it at a somewhat lower point to reducegas consumption. However, this last step should never be done if the iron in the ore fed is divalent, because in that event metal in the powder is essential to get a reasonable reduction rate. Moreover, even if the ore is trivalent iron, the top of the column should be so operated that reduction above the point of recycle d e o s t too lo to he o state a n to a o d low reduction rates in that part of the column.

Usually, at no point in the column should any considerable carbon deposition be allowed to occur. As long as the reduction to metal is incomplete, so that the powder has a reasonable ratio of O/Fe, reduction can be carried out with methane without serious carbon deposition. If, however, completion of reduction is attempted with methane as the reducing agent, carbon deposition will become extensive, in the later stages. For this reason we prefer to introduce the major supply of reducing methane into the column just below the plate from which the recycled powder is withdrawn and to complete the reduction of the iron oxide in the remaining powder withdrawn from that plate in a separate stage. This stage may be a separate unit or it may be a lower section of the main column. A series of alternatives for completion of reduction are available. One may use hydrogen, CO, or a mixture of the two. Such a mixture may be produced by reforming methane with steam in a separate operation, or by oxidizing methane by the technique of the Reed application Serial Number 32,733 filed June 12, 1948 and owned by applicants assignee, now abandoned. Alternatively, one can use methane, but prevent carbon deposition by admitting it with suitable amounts of steam and/or CO2. In this event the metallic iron serves as a catalyst for the reforming reaction, the products of which complete the reduction. The gases from this final reduction stage can usually best be allowed to mix with those entering the major reduction zone. it has been found that the ideal heat transfer characteristics and mixing speed and the resulting perfect uniformity of solids composition, gas distribution and all other conditions throughout a dense fluidized mass of finely divided ore permit the successful maintenance of the critical conditions of heat generation, temperature and partial pressures of the gaseous reactants and reaction products within the narrow ranges required. In accordance with the present invention, the ratio of COzzCO in the main reduction stage is maintained below but above about 20%, preferably at about 70-90% of the equilibrium ratio for the reduction of the metal oxide in the presence of CO and CO2 at the temperature applied. For the reduction of FeO to Fe, this ratio,

the exact values depending on the temperature, lies between about 0.1 and 0.6 for COzzCO for a preferred temperature range of about 750-900 C. which permits both a practically operative rate of reduction and satisfactory fluidization. Slight reductions in these equilibrium ratios may be caused by impurities in a given ore. These deviations may be readily determined by conventional laboratory techniques. I

It has been noted that as long as the mole ratio of gaseous oxygen to methane fed to the bottom of one of the reducing reactors is kept at a level not lower than 0.5, the tendency for serious carbon deposition on the metal is minimized. This may be explained by the assumption that as long as the ratio of oxygen atoms, as oxidizing gas, to carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon feed exceeds unity, the possibility of deposition of elementary carbon is negligible.

The relative and absolute amounts of hydrocarbon gases and air required to establish these conditions depend primarily on the scale of operation involved, the heat insulation of the reduction zone and the preheat of the ore and the air. Preheating the hydrocarbon gas to any temperature level approaching that required in the reduction zone is inadvisable because of cracking and plugging difficulties. Oxidic iron ores, for example, may be employed in particle sizes varying from less than 20 to 100 microns, up to about 10 mesh or larger, preferably in a wide size distribution, to be converted by the gases flowing upwardly through the reaction zone at linear velocities of about 0.35 ft. per second into dense, turbulent, fluidized masses having apparent densities of about 30-150 lbs. per cu. ft. Masses of this type may be successfully reduced in a reducing zone with conventional heat insulation by preheating the ore to temperatures'preferably up to about 1200 C. and the air to about the same temperature, preferably in heat exchange with hot exit gases and supplying for example about 36,000 normal culj ft. of methane and about 110,000 normal cu. ft. ofair per ton of hematite ore to be reduced to about 90% to metallic iron. The amount of methane required in the second or clean-up stage both for reduction and heat generation is only a fraction, say about of that re quired in the first stage because less oxideremains to be reduced, the sensible heat absorbed by the ore in the first stage is available and less heat is required to maintain the limited endothermic clean-up reaction. However, care must be taken that a sufficient oxidizing potential is apparatus shown may be i edso id I Theiron ore may maintained to prevent the deposition of carbon which is i strongly catalyzed by the'iron in the complete absence of metal oxide. This oxidizing potential is readily main tained by keeping the'methaneiair ratio in the'second. stage at a properly low level to be determined 'for the temperature in question by the'ratios given above.- The absolute amount of gas supplied to the second stage may be about of that supplied to the first stage. However, as previously stated, the clean-up zone is preferably operated withv H2 or with a mixture of H2 and. CO because (1) it reacts more rapidly. (therefore allows greater capacity), (2) requires practically no external 'heat and (3) affords negligible risk of carbon deposition. i

The two-stage process of the invention maybe carried out in a single reactionzone in the form of a batch-type procedure. However, in accordance with the. preferred embodiment of the invention,-the' process is conducted continuously, ore being charged to and. reducedtabout. 70-95% to metal in a first reduction'zonefand the re duced ore being continuously charged to a second or clean-up zone wherein complete reduction to metal takes place. The fluid solids technique is preferably applied to analogous manner to the reduction 0 f oxidicjo'res of other, metals.

In' operatiomthe finely divided iron :ore containing the" iron in a high state ofoxidation and having a fluidizable particle size distributionbetween the range offlabo'ut 50 microns and 20 mesh mayf be supplied. by any convenf tional means gtoteed hopper; and thence throughline 2 to a rotary kiln 3' wherein itmaybe preheated .by'hot combustion gases,las will appear there clearly hereinafter,

to a temperature. substantially above reduction temp'era ture andevenras high as-1200" C., ;Thehot ore may enter a hopper 5 through line 4. Finely,divided preheated ironj r ore is withdrawnfrom hopper 5 through line 7 which may have theforrn of an aerated standpipe, agscrew conveyor tional-means for conveying finely di= or any other conven line 12 wherein "it is picked up by highly preheated air (up I to aboutxl200 C to .1 enter the "bottom portion of reduction chamber 20. frg mral g'as and the remainder of the air requirement m y .beintroduced "separately or.

together through. one, or preferably' through "several ci cumferentially. arranged supply lines; 13. The ore is converted'in chamher 20 by the. upwardly flowing gaseous, reactantsand reduction. products into. a dense,-'turbulent, fiuidizedmass resembling a-boiling.,liquidhavingan;up- 1 per level :Ll For this purpose, the -d imensioi is f of reduc-i tion chamber 20 are so chosen that-i substantial reduction of iron ore to metal during the residenceltimeof the 'metal in reduction'chamber Ztlimay be obtained at linear gas velocitiesl within chamber 2t} of, preferably, about 0.7 to 1 .5 'ft.; per secondsto establish apparentphase W n s 'amb ir 0 M17 bs-P both reduction zones. it is noted that by and large the higher the percentage of the gangue impurities "in the ore carried without undue interference with fluidization.

When ores containing the higher oxides of iron are used, it may be desirable to subject the ores to a preliminary reduction approaching FeO, .but not to Fe, prior to their introduction into the main reduction stage of the process of the invention. duction stage may be used as thereducing agent in-such a preliminary reducing stage. Substantial savings: in gas requirements may be secured in this manner. This type of operation is illustrated in Figure 3. e I

The nature of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which: i Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic illustration of an apparatus suitable for the practice of the present'jinvention; Figure 2 shows schematically a multi-zone reactor which may be used in a system of the type illustratedin Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows schematically another embodiment of the invention employing true countercurrent flow Oil gases from the main redensities 7' cu. ft. Lower Dhflfie densities may: be'applie'd However; ,the solids should amount. to at least 5% f and referably.

more .thanlOZi by: volume s t; dense-phase ,The' natural gas is preferably preheated to tempera ture below cracldng temperature,.say=tO"e O ;-200 300f1 ,C. i 11-'any,conventional manner.

trolled that an excessover that theoreticall the reduction of the-iron ore is available.

entire operation, i. e. the ;heat of reaction, sensiblefh'eat requirements of .process materials,'and heat lo-ss through the equipmentwalls, by combustion withairgataCOzi CQ" I h 1 About,25,000 120 140,000 not: i mal cu. ft; of:natu ral gasper' ton 'of ir lvfir isadequate V 1 19 through heateachanger 21 in which it is preheated to I a temperature of about. 600;? C. to 900 .C., preferably} in heat exchange withhotcombustion gases produced as,

.will appear hereinafter and, supplied through line 23 to heat exchanger-21.;pThe preheated air isfpasse'd through of the ore and methane in the reduction zone, and also; 7

illustrates a combination of thereduction process and a cu. ft. of air percuift. of .methanesupplied tofi'eduction chamber 2%) and a secondary reduction chamber whose functions and cooperation will be explained forthwith using the reduction of an iron ore such as magne'tite,' hematite or the like with naturalgas to metallic iron as an example. It should be understood, however, that the line 25 and manifold 26 to reductiOn'chamben-ZO as willbe forthwith explainedr Theitotal amount"of',air---fed" throughline 25 to. reduction-chamberZOis so co'ntrolled that just enough: oiygen'is made available inQr'eduction. chamber. 20 --to.maintain therein, in cooperation withxthe oXygen of-the ore, an averagetemperature'of about 750" to 900"C.-by a limited combustion of the excess; natural gas .available in reduction chamber 20 atthe,

COzyCO: ratios above specified. About 2 'to; normal chamber-20 is sufficient'forgood operatingconditio'ns, V The contact'between iron, methane an d'air in the fbot'.

tomzoneof reducing chamberzflmust be such that suifi cient heat by methane ;cornbustion' will be'gene'rated" to support thereducing reaction... Simultaneously, the'COz concentrationof the reducing atmosphere in the remainap ned in a substantially e passe from pipe '7;,intos feed 1 Its amountis so com 1 'required fof. aims e m of methane serves toreduce about of the iron ore to iron at a CO2:CO ratio'fbelow but as close to the equh. librium' ratioas practicable at the T operating conditions, and in addition to furnish the heat requiretncnt'pf the der of chamberIZO must be; maintained below the. cqui librium level at the temperature of reducing chamber 29 so as to prevent reoxidation of reduced iron metal. It is essential, therefore, to accomplish perfect mixing in the bottom zone of chamber 20 so as to concentrate substantially the entire combustion reaction in the bottom zone and to minimize the circulation of reduced metallic iron from higher zones to the bottom zone wherein a relatively high oxidation potential exists.

For this purpose the lower section of chamber 26 has, preferably, a conical shape with a rounded bottom as indicated in the drawing. The suspension of ore in natural gas supplied through line 12 and also, preferably, the air supplied through line 25 are forced into the conical bottom of chamber 20 in a tangential direction at relatively high linear velocities so as to create a violently whirling turbulence therein. The conical shape of the bottom section simultaneously causes the development of a strong vertical velocity component in an upward direction. This strong upward flow component substantially reduces or practically eliminates any downward circulation of reduced iron into the bottom combustion zone. Settling of ore in the bottom zone may be prevented by feeding at least a portion of the preheated air through line 26 to the lowest point of the bottom zone.

The reactions in this bottom zone are sufiiciently rapid and violent to assure substantially complete decomposition, by the reduction and oxidation reactions occurring, of the methane entering the zone, with substantially no overall production of carbon from the cracking of methane. The impression is not to be taken that carbon is not produced during the cracking of methane. Experimental data indicate that the reaction mechanism involves the deposition of nascent carbon which under the conditions of the reaction disappears as rapidly as it is produced by reaction with CO2 and H20 formed by the reduction of the ore. However, when the oxide content of the ore becomes too low CO2 and H20 are not generated sufficiently rapidly to react with nascent carbon and overall production of carbon appears unless suitable steps are taken to prevent it. In this manner, the presence of sufiicient oxygen in the form of air and metal oxide is assured in the zone of major methane decomposition to generate the heat required and to prevent the deposition of excessive amounts of carbon by cracking. The danger of excessive heat liberation and temperature rise in the burning zone is minimized by the fact that simultaneously reduction of iron ore takes place. The reaction is strongly endothermic and absorbs a substantial portion of the heat liberated. The clean-up of unconverted methane amounting to a minor proportion of the total natural gas fed takes place in the upper normally fluidized portions of chamber 2 3 at temperatures of about 750 C. to 900 C. at strongly reducing conditions.

A mixture of gaseous reactants comprising CO2, CO,

H2O, H2, CH4, and N2 in proportions varying within faily wide ranges depending mainly on the preheat of the charging materials, the insulation of, and the temperature maintained within reduction chamber 20 is withdrawn overhead from level L. At the conditions stated above, experimental data indicate that this gas mixture has a composition as follows (dry basis):

CO2 6.2 CO 14.5 H2 29.2 CH4 1.9 N2 48.2

when the temperature in chamber 20 is about 900 C.

The gases withdrawn from level L may be passed through a conventional gas-solids separator such as cyclone 42 or the like from which separated solid fines may be returned through pipe 44 to chamber 26 or discarded through line 45. Gas, substantially free of fines, leaves separator 42 through line 46 from which a portion may be branched off through line 47 to be used in preheating Ell the ore in kiln 3 as follows. The gas in line 47 is mixed in burner 6 with air preheated in a conventional manner and supplied through line 8 to burner 6 in amounts adequate for substantially complete combustion of the gas supplied through line 47. The combustion gases produced in burner 6 preheat the ore in kiln 3 to the desired temperature in countercurrent flow and cold flue gas leaves kiln 3 through line 9. It is noted, however, that this method of ore preheating is suitable only for ores of a high state of oxidation because the combustion gases leaving burner 6 are strongly oxidizing toward ores of the FeO stage, such as siderite. Therefore, when ores of the latter type are employed, the sensible heat of the gases in line 46 is used without intermediate combustion to preheat the ore. In this case the addition of air through inc 8 may be omitted or the ofi-gas may be supplied through line 47A directly to hopper 5.

Another portion of the off-gas in line 46 passes through line 48 to line 23 and heat exchanger 21 via a combustion zone 22 wherein its temperature is raised by combustion with air supplied through line 60. The hot gas leaving zone 22 through line 23 enters heat exchanger 21' wherein it preheats the process air as described above. After heat exchange, the gas is withdrawn from the system through line 62; to be used for any desired purpose.

If the process is operated at elevated pressures of, say,

above about 3 atmospheres it may be utilized in a waste gas turbine.

Reduced iron ore containing about 530% of the iron as oxide (FeO) and about 70-95% as powdered sponge iron is withdrawn through line 27 from an intermediate or upper section of chamber 2% under the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure of fluidized solids in chamber 20 and passed through line 32 to the bottom portion of a secondary reduction chamber 56. The supply of fluidized solids from chamber 26 to the bottom of chamber 50 may be readily accomplishedby utilizing the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure on withdrawal pipe 27 as the propelling means and maintaining level L above level L-S'ii. The flow of solids may be further simplified by aerating pipe 27 or maintaining the density of the fluidized mass within chamber 50 below that of the fluidized mass within chamber 20, all in a manner which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art of fluid solids handling.

Chamber 50 may be operated in a manner generally analogous to that described in connection with chamber 29. That is, the partially reduced iron ore is supplied through line 32 to the bottom of chamber Stl while methane and preheated air may be fed through branch lines 36 and 38 respectively to chamber 50, to form a dense turbulent, fluidized mass of solids therein having an upper level L-5fi The absolute amounts of natural gas and air supplied are considerably smaller than those required in chamber 2% because of the smaller proportion of iron oxide present in chamber 50 and because of the high temperature at which the ore and metal are fed from chamber Zt'i to chamber 50. However, the ratio of air to methane is preferably substantially higher than that used in chamber 2% in order to establish an oxidation potential sufficient to prevent the deposition of carbon by cracking which may result from the catalytic activity of the metallic iron in the absence of appreciable amounts of iron oxide. it will be understood, however, that the CO2:CO ratio must still be kept below the equilibrium value necessary for the iron oxide reduction. It will also be appreciated that the heat losses in chamber St) are nearly the same as those in chamber 2t). Therefore, the total decrease of the methane requirement in chamber 56 as compared with that of chamber 26 will be preponderately at the expense of methane needed for ore reduction, while the percentage decrease of methane required for combustion will be considerably less significant. Usually 5000 to 8000 normal cu. ft. of natural gas per ton of fresh iron ore charged are sufficient to complete the reduction of the ore to metal in chamber 50.

amines The bottom portion of chamber 50 may beshaped and operated in a manner similar to that outlined in connection with chamber 20.

Gas withdrawn from level L 50 of chamber"50,has a composition only slightly different from thatwithdrawn from chamber 20. The reason for this is that unless the temperature is changed markedly, the composition must be kept approximately the same in order to maintain an adequate reduction potential for the metal and oxidation potential for the carbon. L-50 passes through gas-solids separator 66 provided with solids return line 68 and is added to line-48 through conduit 70, substantially at the temperature of "chamber 50.

The total amount of hot oil-gas entering zone 22'fr0m 250,000 cu.'ft. perline 48 amounts to about. 200,000 to ton of iron ore reduced.

Reduced iron ore, in form of powdered sponge,

The gas withdrawn from level sel 82 is equipped at may beused 'in'single zone reactors, particularly those of relativelyhigh capacityandftherefore large diameter.

A further modificationiolf the inventionis illustrated in Figure 3 in which the process is illustrated with countercurrent flOWj OflheiOXldlC'Ofo and reducing gas. In the 'figurefinely divided ore in a fluidizedstate is passed into a verticalelongated reductionzone 82. .Inorder to pro- V1416. for effective utili'zation fof th'effredueingf gas a countercurrent system is provided. ,For1'this'purpose ves intervals throughout the. vessel with I trays 83 provided l-with' overflow levels or downco ners .84; The number'pftrays may be-varied according to the v j e capac ity ofjthe vessel and the extent of the reduction aiequired 1Fluidizedmaterialsentering the'vessel through l ne 81ibuild .j up onthe uppermost tray u'ntil' the levelL of'theioverflow is reached after, lwhicli the l'luidized ore iron, is withdrawn under the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure i of the dense fluidized'massof solids in chamber 50" I through drawoff line 71 and'fed to line 72 to be with-' drawn from the systemand passed to a melting furnace all owned by applicants assignee, now abandoned, are;

particularly adapted for this purpose;

It will be noted that the purpose of using a melting furnace for the product of'the processof the invention is to make it possible toseparate the gangueimpurities' of the ore from the metal producedbymelting both of them,

and separating the two liquids'by gravity. The meltin of conven-' l of the gangue maybe facilitated by the use tional fluxes, e. g. limestone.

--ward n w-er the fluidized solidsi V reduces back-"mixing' 'oforeparticles in a vertical dire'c-h tron and permits withdrawallr'romfthelower portions of? The embodiment of the invention describedwith ref erence to the'drawing permits of various modifications.

More than two reduction chambers of the type described may be used. For example, when it is desired to subject iron ores of a high state of oxidation to a preliminary reduction to FeO, this may be carried outby designing hopper 5 or an equivalent vessel as a suitable reducing zone and feeding hot ofiF-gas from line 46 through line 47A to vessel 5. In this case the ore may be preheated in kiln 3 to any desired temperature as described above.

Screw conveyors or other mechanical means may substitute any or all of the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure conduits 7, 27, 71, etc. Instead of naturalgas ormethane, other hydrocarbon gases such as ethane, propane, refinery gases, coal carbonization' gases, etc. may be used. The

second reduction chamber may also be operated with and/ or H2 produced from methane or other carbonaceous material by reforming, oxidation, etc. carried cutout-- side the reduction chamber. In this manner carbonldep osition in the second stage ceases to be a problem. It is also noted that rotary kilns may be used in place of either or both reactors 20 and 50. Other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without deviating from the spirit of the invention. I i l v A further modification is schematically illustrated in Figure 2. As shown therein, the fluidized bed of reactor 20 is subdivided into several independentvbeds, two of which are shown at A and B1 Ore may be supplied from pipe 7 through lines 7:: and 7b. while reducing gas and preheated air enter through refractory grids 6a and 65 from lines 12a and 12b. Spent reducing gasleaves through lines 46a and 46b and reducedore through lines 27a and.

27b. The operation of the individual zones A, B, etc. is analogous to that described above for reactors 20 and 50,

both of which may be subdivided asindicated in Figure 2.

A similar arrangement of cream gas supply with withdrawal as that shown for each zone A, B, etc. of Figure 2 vesselthrough line 85.? T

. Zone 82 via line 98jor the"phrposeatores'aid [[1, 1

More preferably, howeverfthis material is introduced 7 The depth ofthe bed on, each tray. is preferably 7 flow ofwfiuidizedf ore occurs counter to the 'upward flow ofreducing gas, and air 7 passes downwardly in succession fto' ithenext'lower-leveh, 1

out 12; I 'rrent;

V he flow .rate of is controlled so as not-to interferewith the over the 'reductionzone of particles of the; highest, rather. than average, degree .of reduction. "When 0" intermediate and/or upper portion of the reduction zone,

for example via -line 1'05. In'this manner""aflsubstantial portion or all ofthe heat to be generated within the reduction vessel 82. may be'produced in the-upper porti )iis"-' in the oxide form so:

bem'aintained. to ho 5 disadvantage; The heat so generated is tra' nsferred 'as; 'sensibleheatofthe, ore to lowerqzoneswherein resum s: mayf be carried out with no-generationsof heatfor only of the vessel while the were still that an oxidizing atmosphere may limitedi generation of. heat by. additional controlled com? I bustion ofthe reducing gas inrandfto'. a j reducing atmosp c ,1 t v The amount ofreducing gasand air admittedito vessel of the proeessiof Figure 1.

. 82 is controlled in the manner specified for the: operation t 'Spentereducing" gases are re- 1 moved frorn vessel 82 vialinef86 after passing'fthro'ugh cyclone 87 for removal of entrained solid material. The V product co'nsistingof.70-95% sp'onge iron and'5 30%' iron'oxide in the form erreo is removed from'the main reduction 'zone'via line 38 and introducedfinto a-clean -up l zone ,89. JAportion ofthe iron product is removed from the product take-off line 88 and recycled via line 104 to the middle of the main r'educing zone in quantities sufficient to'maintain residual iron in; the downllowing solids at the. point of 'introduction. In the clean-up zone the iron oxide. content of the product .is converted toiron by means of hydrogen entering the zo ne via line 90.

. The hydrogen may be pure hydrogen ora mixture of hydrogen andCO. The useof hydrogenor hydrogen-con taining gases-in the clean-up zone is'preferable,"although as previously stated rnethane maybe used at this point. Spent reducing gases are removedjfrom the clean-up zone vialine 91 while thejiron' product is'remoyed from the clean-up zone via line92. This product may be'theii sent to the meltingffurnace. When hydrogen is employed in the clean-up zone this material may besecured throughthe erackingof methane. In this event part of the iron product isi rem oved via line and introducedinto crackingzone 94. v Preheated methane, is introduced into the crackingzone' via-line"95. Thehydrogen produced during the cracking is removed via line96 and introduced into the clean-hp zone 89;,via linel90. Thesolids product 1 of the cracking operation, namely, metallic iron plus. carbon, is:tbmbried from the'cracking zonej-viaj line 97 and introduced intoan ,upper' point" of the-main reducing T i -a an men 7 1oP t1 i al 9 5 desirable to feed at least asubstantial portion'of airtoan- I into a preliminary reducing zone 100 via line 99 in the event that such a preliminary .reducing zone is employed. When the process is applied to the reduction of the higher metallic oxidic ores a preliminary reducing zone may be profitably employed. When converting to metals the higher metallic oxides such as FezOz, it is sometimes advantageous to convert the F6203 at least partly to Fe(), but not to metallic Fe, in the preliminary reduction zone. When operating in this manner the crude FezOs in a fluidized state is introduced into preliminary reducing zone 1% via line 101. The preliminary reducing zone is constructed in a manner similar to the main reducing zone 82. The flow of materials therein is likewise similar to vessel 82. The fluidized FezOa travelling countercurrently downward through the vessel is reduced partly to FeO by means of a reducing gas entering the vessel at the bottom thereof via line 106. In this respect spent combustion gases from the main reducing zone can serve to bring about the necessary reduction of the oxide to its lower oxide, that is, the conversion of FezOa to FeO. FeO is withdrawn from the preliminary reducing zone via line 102 and is then introduced via line 81 into vessel 82 where its reduction to metallic iron is completed in a manner similar to that previously indicated in the process of Figure l for the conversion of FezOs. When operating thus, line Hi4 should enter the top of vessel $2. In the main reducing zone the FeO will not be completely converted to Fe but the product will be a mixture containing 70-95% metallic iron and 530% FeO.

Instead of employing trays in towers 82 and 100 these vessels may be equipped with one or more zones of packing of coarse refractory bodies of non-fluidizable particle size, said zones being arranged at intervals over the length of the reduction zone. The packing may be composed of Raschig rings, Berl saddles or the like having a diameter of about 1 to 3 inches and consisting of clay, chamotte, ceramics or similar material. These packings permit an upward flow of the gases and downward passage of finely divided ore and simultaneously limit vertical back-mixing of fluidized solids across the height of the packing. The overall downward motion of the fluidized solids is accornpanied by the continuous feed of solids to the top and continuous withdrawal of solids from the bottom of the reduction vessel as a result of the pseudo-hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluidized mass. Depending on the linear velocity of the gases the unit may be so operated that the reduction vessel is filled with a substantially continuous fluidized mass having a single top level, or so that several fluidized beds are formed having individual levels between the packings.

While the foregoing description and exemplary operations have served to illustrate specific applications and results of my invention, other modifications obvious to those skilled in the art are within the scope of my invention. Only such limitations should be imposed on the invention as are indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Frocess for reducing oxidic iron ore which comprises thoroughly mixing finely-divided unreduced oxidic iron ore in a reduction zone with a fluidized solids mass the solids content of which comprises 70 to 95 Weight per cent Fe and 5 to weight per cent of incompletely reduced oxidic ore, introducing into said reduction zone a hydrocarbon gas in stoichiometric excess with respect to the desired reduction of said ore, supplying a combustion-supporting gas to said reduction zone to generate by combustion with said excess hydrocarbon at least a portion of the heat required to maintain a temperature of 750 C. to 950 C. in said reduction zone, controlling the feed rate of hydrocarbon gas and com bustion-supporting gas such that reduction of said oxidic iron ore takes place in said reduction zone while reoxidation of. metallic iron and carbon deposition are substantially prevented, maintaining the solids in the reduction zone in a fluidized state by passage there- 1x521 through of gas introduced originally as hydrocarbon gas and combustion-supporting gas, maintaining 5 to 30 weight per cent of incompletely reduced oxidic ore in the fluidized mass in the reduction zone, withdrawing from sm'd reduction zone Fe containing 5 to 30 weight a portion of said gases and solids to said lower portion at a high velocity in a tangential direction.

4. The process of claim 1 in which said withdrawn gaseous products are used to preheat said ore.

5. The process of claim 4 in which the temperature of said withdrawn gaseous products is increased by a further combustion with a combustion-supporting gas.

6. The process of claim 1 in which said reduction is carried out in at least two stages, and partly reduced fluidized ore is passed from stage to stage until the ore is substantially completely reduced.

7. The process of claim 6 in which the ratio of combustion-supporting gas to hydrocarbon gas is substantially smaller in the first of said stages than in subsequent independent of each other with respect to gas and solids feed and withdrawal.

11. The process of claim zone has a ratio of height to diameter of about 2-5 to 1.

12. A process for reducing FezOa in a reduction zone with a fluidized solids mass the solids content of which comprises 70 to weight per cent Fe and 5 to 30 weight per cent FeO, maintaining the solids in said reduction zone in a fluidized state by means of a reducing gas which enters the reduction zone as a hydrocarbon and in which a reduction temperature of 750 C. to 950 C. is maintained by burning a portion of said hydrocarbon gas in said reduction zone with a combustion-supporting gas, controlling the feed rate of hydrocarbon gas and combustion-supporting gas such that reduction of FezOz. to Fe and FeO takes place, maintaining 5 to 30 weight per cent of FeO in the fluidized mass in said reduction zone, and withdrawing Fe containing 5 to 30 weight per cent FeO from said reduction zone.

13. A process according to claim 12 in which the withdrawn mixture of Fe and 5 to 30 weight per cent of FeO is completely reduced to Fe in a second reduction zone with methane.

14. A process according to claim 12 in which the withdrawn mixture of Fe and 5 to 30 Weight per cent FeO is completely reduced to Fe in a second reduction zone l in which said reduction 13 fluidized FezOa and methane flow countercurrent to each other.

18. A process according to claim 12 in which the FezOa is reduced at least in part to FeO butnotto Fe in a preliminary reducing zone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l 14 2,481,217 Hemminger Sept. 6,, Krebs Sept. 6, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES 2 5 Production of Sponge Iron, U.

S. Dept. of Commerce,

Bureau of Mines Bulletin 270. Published 1927. Pages 44-66 pertinent. Pages 45-46 relied upon.- 1

Transaetionsofth American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Iron and Steel Division, 1946 10 (vol. .167). Pages 237-280, pertinent. Page 243 relied upon. Published by The Institute at the Oflice of I the Secretary 29 'w; 39th Street York.

, New York 18, New 

12. A PROCESS FOR REDUCING FE2O3 IN A REDUCTION ZONE WITH A FLUIDIZED SOLIDS MASS TO SOLID CONTENT OF WHICH COMPRISES 70 TO 95 WEIGHT PER CENT FE AND 5 TO 30 WEIGHT PER CENT FEO, MAINTAINING THE SOLIDS IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE IN A FLUIDIZED STATE BY MEANS OF A REDUCING GAS WHICH ENTERS THE REDUCTION ZONE AS A HYDROCARBON AND IN WHICH A REDUCTION TEMPERATURE OF 750*C. TO 950* C. IS MAINTAINED BY BURNING A PORTION OF SAID HYDROCARBON GAS IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE WITH A COMBUSTION-SUPPORTING GAS, CONTROLLING THE FEED RATE OF HYDROCARBON GAS AND COMBUSTION-SUPPORTING GAS SUCH THAT REDUCTION OF FE2O3 TO FE AND FEO TAKES PLACE, MAINTAINING 5 TO 30 WEIGHT PER CENT OF FEO IN THE FLIDIZED MASS IN SAID REDUCTION ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING FE CONTAINING 5 TO 30 WEIGHT PER CENT FEO FROM SAID REDUCTION ZONE. 